AdvanTech Flooring

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Using OSB in fire rated assemblies in place of plywood

Many fire-rated assemblies specified and built today were originally tested and approved with plywood as the floor covering. In 2000, engineers at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) of Northbrook, IL, determined that OSB of an equivalent thickness could be substituted for plywood in these designs.

In certain applications, building codes require a fire resistant rating to contain fire in a particular area or room of a building for a specified length of time. The fire resistant rating can be defined as the time in hours (or minutes) that a material or assembly of materials will withstand the passage of fire. Conversely, the Flame Spread Rating is a measure of the speed it takes flame to spread on the surface of material. The flame spread rating for AdvanTech is Class III (C).